Seeds of Resistance
by Narya's Bane
Summary: Oneshot fic. Bria Tharen finally decides to join the Rebellion.


Disclaimer II. Honestly, if I owned the characters it would be a very nice thing. But I don't, so I make no money. Oh well.

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Bria Tharen watched as the priests brought the pilgrims forward into the transport, shivering with anticipation and fear. She would probably be killed the moment she stepped foot onto Ylesia, but at this point she hardly cared. At night, sweats kept her awake until the earliest hours, and when she woke it was to a mind that was clouded by desire for things she could not have. Every day was a struggle. So she stood today as she watched Terroenza's thugs do their dirty work, wishing every moment that she was strong enough to resist. She looked at the ticket in her hand, and sighed, realizing she was going to have to get on soon if she was going to take advantage of her placement.

Vaguely, her ears picked up a strange sound behind the background. "Can we trust them?" it asked. Had her ears been slightly less sensitive she could never have heard it. Instead, she had an instinct to listen more.

"Probably," a paired voice answered, "and it's worth a try. They're religious men, after all."

Bria moved, her ticket dropping to the ground, as she positioned herself to better overhear the conversation.

"There has to be a better way to arrange a meeting."

"We don't have that kind of time."

Bria stepped on the ticket as she searched the crowd for the origin of the voices. She could see nothing but swarms of pilgrim robes, having been distributed to the attendees before they entered the transport. She had no way to tell who the speakers were, but suddenly their fate overwhelmed her desire to return to Ylesia. She might not have a choice herself, but there was no reason for her to leave these men to the same fate. Her feet rushed as she scanned...

It was the boots that gave them away. All other pilgrims had their feet covered in excess cloth as would be required on Ylesia, but these two hadn't changed out of their boots. Looking up, Bria was able to tell they were both packing blasters in case of issues, a thing most people did not take with them to Paradise. She tiptoed towards the two men- they did not believe in this, and she could stop them if she tried.

It wasn't too late for them.

Bria Tharen set a hand on each of their shoulders, slightly surprised when both of them jumped in response. "If you value anything in your life," she whispered, "you will come with me. I know something of these- priests you would speak with."

Both men followed Bria's direction,leaving the main pavillion where the pilgrims swarmed the priests and entered their transports. Here it was quiet, reserved- there was nobody here. Still, it seemed that Bria's newfound friends were not taking any chances; only one spoke with her, the other keeping watch around.

"You claim to know something of paradise?"

Bria cleared her throat, finally drawing herself to full height. "It's a snare, a hutt trap," she revealed quietly. "These people are going to their deaths- or slavery. I was there." And then, in a frenzy, Bria revealed all she knew of Ylesia, and Terroenza, and all the things that went on. She told of her departure, and the resulting withdrawal... "It's a drug, an addiction," she finished. "If nothing else proves it, the difficulty getting away from it would."

The man in front of her lowered his hood, revealing striking features. "You will swear to all this?" he asked. Bria nodded emphatically. "What is your name?"

"Tharen," she admitted slowly. "Bria Tharen."

The man seemed to consider her, deep brown eyes looking her over. Bria wondered what exactly it was he saw. She'd not looked at herself in a mirror lately, hadn't cleaned herself up. She knew herself to be a mess.

"I know some people who might be able to help you, if you will tell them the same story you just related to me."

Bria nodded again, tears about to drop from her eyes. She didn't believe they could really help her, but anything was better than being completely alone. So minutes later, as the transport lifted off, Bria watched it from afar as her new friends took her deep into the heart of her home planet.

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"Three years," Bria answered honestly. "I've been away from Ylesia for three years. This was the second time I actually had a ticket in my hand." She glanced to the side, where the two men who had found her waited on the side, nodding encouragement. Finally, she added, "I would have gone, too, if I'd not heard them talking."

Never, even when these men had taken her from the revival, had she imagined she would be talking to a member of the Resistance movement. She especially had not thought she would be talking to Garm Bel Iblis- looking as she did. She had been able to clean up only briefly, but her story was deemed important enough she was asked to report immediately. She did her best. She kept what was left of her dignity, and reported matter-of-factly, with more calm than she thought she had.

"For your sake, and ours, I'm glad you happened on us," Bel Iblis considered. "You've saved us two agents and months of worrying. We owe you our gratitude."

Bria lowered her head respectfully. "We have denied Terroenza a few slaves," she explained. "It's a triumph for myself. And I have stayed off the transport." This time- she aded in her mind.

"You do not like slavers." Bel Iblis noted.

"Hard to, when you've been a slave." Bria straightened back to full height, as if reporting rather than stating a personal belief. "Every person has rights to their own freedom. Those who would take it from them are better off dead."

Bel Iblis looked over her shoulder, nodding towards someone invisible. Then he asked, "Would you be willing to fight to keep others from being slaves?"

Bria thought about that. "I don't know," she finally replied. "I'm not much of one for fighting."

"If you had cause?"

Bria let her eyes raise, and it seemed something in them came alight. "If I have cause, I'll tear them apart so fast nobody will see it coming."

"I believe you." Bel Iblis looked at this new recruit, and finally gave the order. "We'll help you get free of this. When you're done, we'll talk about the real problems in our galaxy. The real slavers are still out there, and it will take a long time to win out over them. But if you keep your determination, if others can gain it, we may win yet."

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Almost a full year later, Bria looked back on those actions with a strange nostalgia. She had been a different person, still struggling against a desire for the Exultation. Things were different now. She had grown to learn about her addictive personality, to understand it and let it go. Or at least redirect it to do the most good.

She took a vibroblade, rolling it deftly into a concealed spot between belt and pants. She could grab it at a moment's notice, and knew how to use it well. After what Bel Iblis and his resistance had shown her, after she had learned of all the horrors of the Empire and accepted them for such, she had trained herself to fight against them. She had the willpower, and now the knowledge. The means were not in place yet...

"Are you ready?" Daret asked her. He was teh one who had first found her, first heard her words and let her in to the rebel movement on Corellia. He had taught her much, and finally taken her under his wing as a cover operative. Briat Tharen was going to become somebody else, somebody different, but someone in a position to gather some of those means the movement so desperately needed.

"As I'll ever be," Bria replied honestly.

"Just don't forget what you're fighting for while you're in there."

Bria looked up, seeing the Imperial headquarters on Corellia. The mission was simple enough: apply as a household domestic, and proceed to gather as much intel as possible for the eventuality of a raid on the place. Only she wasn't doing this for herself. She was doing this for people like her father, people who were forced to blindly follow the Empire's rule and therefore became slaves as surely as if they were in chains. She was doing this for people like her mother, who couldn't even see the cruelty before their eyes.

She was doing this for Han, taken so young and forced into servitude by a system that condoned the very action.

"I won't forget," Bria assured. "Talk to you when I can."


End file.
